1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a recliner assembly for a seat assembly of an automotive vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a recliner assembly for selectively pivoting a seat back of the seat assembly between a plurality of seating positions, a dump position and a fold-flat position and wherein pivoting the seat back to the dump position releases a seat track locking mechanism.
2. Description of Related Art
Automotive vehicles include seat assemblies for supporting occupants within the vehicle. A typical seat assembly includes a seat cushion and a seat back operatively coupled to the seat cushion by a recliner assembly allowing selective pivotal adjustment of the seat back relative to the seat cushion between a plurality of rearwardly reclined seating positions. The seat back is also often pivotally movable to a forwardly inclined dump position and a fold-flat position overlying the seat cushion. With the seat back in the dump position ingress and egress to a rear seat assembly or storage area located behind the seat assembly is improved. With the seat back in the fold-flat position a load floor is extended to increase the vehicle cargo capacity.
It is known in the automotive seating art to provide a seat track assembly that slidably interconnects the seat assembly to a floor of the vehicle. The seat track assembly provides forward and rearward movement of the seat assembly along the floor to allow an occupant to select a particular fore/aft seating position. The seat track assembly typically includes a lower or fixed track mounted to the floor of the vehicle and an upper or movable track slidably engaging the fixed track and mounted to a bottom surface of the seat cushion. A locking mechanism is operatively coupled between the fixed and movable tracks and selectively locks the movable track relative to the fixed track.
It is also known to operatively couple the seat back and the locking mechanism such that when the seat back is pivoted to the dump position, the seat track assembly is unlocked allowing the seat assembly to move forward to an easy-entry position. With the seat back in the dump position and the seat assembly in the easy-entry position, ingress and egress to the rear seat assembly or storage area is made even easier.
It is desirable to provide an improved recliner assembly having a recliner handle for selectively adjusting a seat back between a plurality of rearwardly reclined seating positions and a fold flat position overlying a seat cushion. It is also desirable that the recliner assembly include a walk-in handle for selectively actuating the seat back between one of the plurality of reclined seating positions and a forwardly inclined dump position. It is further desirable that actuating the recliner assembly to pivot the seat back from one of the plurality of reclined seating positions to the dump position releases a seat track locking mechanism allowing a seat assembly to move forwardly to an easy-entry position.